Jerusalem
and the Middle East
Church Association

Download a PDF of our magazine (800k)

Editorial
Treasurer's notes

News

Introducing:

Episcopal Area North Africa

Bishop Bill and Hilary Musk are settling into their Tunis home and appreciate the ‘vital’ church life they have inherited. They hadn’t been there long when the Archbishop of Canterbury arrived on route to the Primates’ Meeting in Alexandria. Bishop Bill recalls part of the visit:

“The two and a half days of the Archbishop’s visit were closely packed. We were all kindly hosted by the British ambassador and his wife at their residence (so funny seeing English three-pin sockets!). There were receptions, meetings, services, quick visits to a Roman archaeological site and to the British School in Tripoli, much whizzing about in “protocol” cars, the exchanging of business cards (except I don’t have one!) and much more. It was wonderful meeting in some depth the local Roman Catholic clergy in Libya andl Franciscan brothers of gentle, patient faith and long-term commitment to the country. Many religious orders, mostly of nuns, offer different kinds of service throughout the country quietly witnessing to a life of Christian faith in service. : Archbishop Rowan delivered a paper on the Christian understanding of revelation to a crowded auditorium in the training college of the World Islamic Call Society. This was amazing! The room was filled with lecturers and students from all over the Islamic world. As he finished his lecture, there was a flurry of activity behind the Archbishop and it was suddenly announced that the Archbishop and his party had to go on to another engagement and that Dr Bill Musk would answer all the questions everyone had for the Archbishop! What had happened was that a hoped-for audience with Colonel Qaddafi had suddenly materialised and the Archbishop, with Bishop Mouneer, the British Ambassador and the Archbishop’s Secretary for International and Inter-Religious Relations were advised that they had to be whisked to the Leader’s “meeting tent” now! For an hour after they left (because we were waiting for them to return for the banquet after the lecture) I found myself in the hot seat! With friends from Christ the King church praying for me, I got the chance to speak to all these people committed to dawah, or Islamic mission, about a Christian understanding of revelation and faith, about the meaning of the cross, about who is the Holy Spirit and so on. There were also uncomfortable questions/statements about Western, political collusion with the State of Israel especially over what is called in these parts the “war on Gaza”, and questions about the Archbishop’s personal views on things– the last of which I thought it wise not to answer!”